Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Leads Efforts to Overcome the COVID-19 Crisis

Conducting Agricultural and Livestock Products Purchase Event and Implementing School Disinfection in Connection with the 31st Division

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Jang Hwikuk) is making every effort to help farmers who are facing a crisis due to blocked sales channels caused by the delay of school openings amid COVID-19.

The Gwangju Office of Education announced on the 29th that it will begin large-scale purchases of agricultural and livestock products to support farmers until the 5th of next month.

At the agricultural and livestock product purchase event held on the 27th in front of the Gwangju Office of Education main building and the East and West Education Support Offices, 341 boxes of agricultural product packages, 56 bags of 10kg rice, 242 boxes of strawberries, and 202 bags of kiwifruit were sold.

The total sales amount of agricultural and livestock products purchased by staff in one day reached 12,128,000 KRW. The event was attended by Superintendent Jang Hwikuk, various directors, East and West Education Directors, the Director of the Education Research and Information Institute, the head of the Gwangju branch of NongHyup, the sales director, the head of the Pyeongdong cooperative, the education treasury branch manager, and about 600 staff members participated.

In addition, the Gwangju Office of Education Nutritionists and Nutrition Teachers Association, together with school meal support centers in each district, established a ‘Joint Purchase Plan for Eco-friendly Agricultural Products to Help Local Farmers’ to alleviate difficulties faced by farmers producing eco-friendly agricultural products under contract for school deliveries blocked due to the delay in school openings.

This plan is scheduled to be implemented from the 30th of this month to the 5th of next month.

Civilians can also participate in the purchase, and products can be bought through the Samsu District and Yeomju District school farms, Gwangsan District School Meal Support Center, Nam District Local Food, Nam District School Meal Support Center, and Pyeongdong NongHyup Local Food.

Along with this, the Office of Education has been separating 47 essential personnel to work at different locations since the 17th in preparation for the closure of the education office due to COVID-19.

Since the 26th, the ‘Gwangju Office of Education COVID-19 Response School Operation Manual’ to be used until the COVID-19 response situation ends at schools has been distributed in booklet and text document form, and the ‘2020 Remote Education Support Plan’ has also been established to prevent learning gaps among students.

On the 27th, a notice was sent to each institution and school explaining how elementary, middle, and high school students receiving remote education due to the delay in school openings can use online learning websites without data charges.

Rapid and bold work processing and proactive administration to overcome quarantine and economic crises have been broadly exempted from liability, empowering on-site staff.

Additionally, from the 31st of this month to the 2nd of next month, a joint special disinfection will be conducted across all schools in Gwangju, the Office of Education, affiliated institutions, and regional education offices by the military (31st Division) and the Gwangju Office of Education.

Disinfectants approved by the Ministry of Environment’s Chemical Product Management Division will be used, and procedures will follow the usage methods recommended by WHO and others.

The Office of Education is maintaining a crisis response system including social distancing work guidelines to prevent infection among employees, ‘one-directional dining,’ entry disinfection and temperature checks for all visitors, building disinfection, and emergency duty in the situation room. It is also contributing to national crisis recovery by sending emergency support funds to Daegu and participating in group blood donations.

A Gwangju Office of Education official said, “We are trying to prepare for all situations that may arise from infectious diseases,” and added, “We will carry out our work swiftly, boldly, and accurately, focusing only on the students without fear.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.